Ratchet wrench



A P STONE 2,201,705

RATCHET WRENCH Filed July 19, 1938 lll Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RATCHET WRENCH Arthur P. Stone, Akron, Ohio, assignor to `The Wright Tool and Forge Company, Barberton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 19, 1938, Serial No. 220,016

1 Claim.

The foregoing and other purposes or objects of the invention are attained in the ratchet wrench illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described below.

Of the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the head end of a ratchet wrench device embodying the invention for use with a socket type wrench.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure is an inverted plan view of the wrench device.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the wrench head with cover plate removed.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, the wrench device may have any suitable handle I on which is a wrench-engaging head II. Rotatably mounted in the head `II is the operative element of the ratcheting device which may, as shown, be designed for use with a socket wrench. It will be understood, however, that the wrench device may be formed lin any other suitable way with male or female engaging members. The male member ofthe particular socket wrench operating device shown is indicated at l2a and `may be square, as shown, or of other polygonal shape and may have a spring-pressed ball I2b therein of a known type for gripping the side of a socket of the wrench with which it is engaged. The rotatable wrench element I2 is formed with teeth I3, I3 about its periphery, which teeth are preferably triangular shaped, as shown, sothat a Alarge number of strong ratchet teeth may be pro vided in adjoining relation about the rotary ratchet member providing eiective ratcheting action when the wrench device is used in closely coniined spaces. Arranged to engage with teeth I3 are pawls I 4, It. which are arranged in slots I5, I in the wrench-engaging head, preferably directed at such angles diverging outwardly toward the ratchet member l2 that the ends of the pawls Irl, which are preferably squared with thev sides of the pawls, as indicated at I5, i6 will snugly nt in the triangular spaces between teeth I3 in the rotary member l2, the slots or grooves I5 being open at the ends thereof adjacent the rotary ratcheting element I2, permitting move- (C1. 1oz-43.2) l,

ment of the pawls I4 through said ends into engagement with the teeth I3 of the rotary member as shown in Figure 4. The rear ends of the pawl members M, as shown at I'I, I'I, may be engaged with compression spring I8, I8 set in the grooves or slots I5 (see Figure 5). The Springs i8 serve normally to urge the pawls I4,v into engagement with the teeth I3 of the rotary ratchet member I2.

As shown in Figure 4, the pawls are so set that `the ratcheting action is in the direction of the arrow. Means are provided for holding one pawl Ill or the other out of engagement with ratchet wheel or rotary ratchet member I2 in the manner shown whereby a reversible ratcheting action can be secured. For this purpose the pawls I4 are formed with shoulders at I9, I9 with which engages a cam 2li formed or secured on shaft 2l journalled in the head II and to which is secured an operating handle 22 at the back of the wrench operating device. One end of cam 253 is designed to engage with one shoulder I9 of one pawl It and the other end of cam 20 is designed to engage with the corresponding shoulder E9 of the other pawl I4, as clearly appears in Figure 4. When the handle 22 is set to one side of the center of the device, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, one pawl It, as shown, is held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, the other being permitted to engage. The handle 22 is designed to be swung to an opposite angular position away from the center line of the device at which it will be obvious that the cam 20 is designed to depress the other pawl I4 and to permit the rst pawl M to move into engagement with the ratchet member I2, thereby reversing. the ratcheting action.

Arranged centrally of the device is suitable means for holding the handle 22 in an intermediate position in which both pawls I4 are permitted to contact with the ratch teeth I3. To this end the device is provided at 23 with aspringpressed ball centrally arranged to engage the under side of lever 22 to hold the lever 22 in a central position in which the ratchet mechanism will be locked so that the wrench-engaging element l 2 will in effect be in fixed relation with the head permitting use of the wrench in the usual manner of a non-ratcheting wrench.

The pawls I4 and associated parts may be retained in slots I5 by acover-plate Iia secured on the head as shown. The construction provides a reversible ratcheting wrench adapted for eiective use under modern conditionsl and where the wrench is frequently used in small and conning places where the ratcheting action is necessarily limited in amplitude. The construction permits the use of a large number of comparatively small but strong teeth which give eiective ratcheting action without slippage or breakage. Also the wrench may be effectively locked for use as a non-ratcheting wrench in the usual way. The provision of the outwardly diverging pawls I4 to cooperate with the triangular teeth I3 makes possible the use of a relatively large ratchet wheel with closely spaced strong triangular teeth.

Modications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claim. It will be understood the invention may be embodied in a Wrench-operating device or handle, as shown, or directly in a Wrench structure,

What is claimed is:

A Wrench of the character described comprising a Wrench-operating head housing therein a rotatable ratchet wheel, said wheel being provided with a plurality of closely spaced triangular teeth, said head having therein slots extending toward said wheel in outwardly diverging direction, the inner ends of said slots being closed and the outer ends thereof opening into the housing for said wheel, pawls slidably fitted into said slots whereby the outer ends thereof may move through the open ends of said slots into engagement with said ratchet Wheel, the ends of said pawls being squared to provide triangular portions projecting into said housing to engage the teeth of said ratchet Wheel, said slots and said pawls being of polygonal or non-circular crosssection whereby the pawls slide without rotation in said slots, yielding means between the closed ends of said slots and said pawls for normally urging said pawls into engagement with said ratchet Wheel and means for controlling engagement of said pawls with said ratchet wheel, said controlling means comprising a single cam rotatably mounted on said head in a position between said slots intermediate the ends thereof and having portions overlying said pawls above said slots, said pawls having shoulders thereon arranged to be engaged by the overlying portions of said cam whereby either paWl may be urged and locked out of engagement with said ratchet wheel or both may be released by the cam for simultaneous engagement of the ratchet wheel, the outer Walls of said slots supporting the pawls throughout their entire lengths when subjected to pressure of the ratchet Wheel on the projecting triangular portions of the pawls.

ARTHUR P. STONE. 

